Two arrested in possession of fake US dollar notes

The two arrested counterfeit suspects arraigned at Kira police station in Kampala. (PHOTO: POLICE)

KAMPALA– Police in Kampala Friday arrested two men at Opportunity Bank Kamwokya branch for allegedly issuing $1800 and £1100 counterfeit notes to a bank teller.

Ali Kassuja (45) and Alfred Mugabe (33) from Mpererwe were arrested upon trying to deposit fake dollar notes into a city bank.

According to police, the two on Friday tried to deposit $1800 and £1100 counterfeit notes. An alert teller at Bank noticed the bills felt unusual as she counted the money before she confirmed they were fake and later tested with a machine and alerted his superiors who called the police.

“I can confirm that we’ve arrested two men who were found in possession of counterfeits and investigations are underway,” he said.

Kassuja one of the suspects told police that the counterfeits are printed from Kenya and sold to various elements in the counterfeit business at a cheap cost.

An officer shows off the fake US dollars caught with the arrested suspects. (PHOTO: POLICE)

A bank official who spoke on condition of anonymity said tellers were shocked to see someone who wanted to deposit so much cash in an economy grappling with a shortage of US dollars.

“When we informed them that their notes were fake, they laughed it off. Instead, one of them insisted the money was genuine and claimed he had just received it from his nephew who allegedly works in Canada,” said the bank official.

Last month, Old Kampala Police smashed a fake notes syndicate operating in the city centre where a gang would buy small items at grocery shops using forged UGX20000 notes to get change in genuine currency.

The suspects are currently detained at Kira Road Police Station vide SD REF 59/17/10/2018 and are to be arraigned before courts of law on charges of issuing counterfeit notes.